Written By: Krystal Jackson, President, Barbee Jackson Insurance. Over the past 20 years Krystal and her team have insured thousands of contractors and small businesses throughout the United States. Licensed in 30+ states.
Last updated: 08/12/2026

If you mow, trim, spray, plant, or haul for a living, you already know the work is riskier than it looks. What most landscapers don’t find out until claim time is that the standard insurance policy is thinner than it looks, too.

I run the Garage & Contractor division here at Barbee Jackson Insurance. We’re an independent agency licensed in 30+ states, which means I’m not tied to one carrier or one policy form — my job is to match the coverage to how you actually work. On this page I’ll walk through what a real landscaping insurance program includes, and the three gaps I see cost landscapers the most.

General liability: your foundation

General liability covers injuries and property damage to other people caused by your work. For a landscaping crew, that’s the everyday stuff:

• A mower throws a rock through a client’s windshield — or hits a bystander.

• A branch comes down on a house or a person during trimming.

• Someone slips on a walkway your crew just cleared.

• You cut a client’s irrigation line while edging, or strike a buried utility. (Call 811 before you dig or edge — every time.)

All of that is what general liability is built for, and every landscaping business needs it. But general liability alone is not a full program, because of what the standard policy leaves out. That’s where the next three sections come in.

Gap #1: Spraying chemicals may not be covered

This is the most expensive surprise in landscaping insurance.

Many general liability policies exclude damage caused by applying pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizer. The exclusion sits quietly in the policy form — and it means the work you get paid to do may be exactly what your policy doesn’t cover.

Here’s what that looks like in real life: your herbicide drifts onto the neighbor’s landscaping, or into a client’s koi pond, or onto someone’s organic garden. That’s a real claim with a real dollar amount attached — and a policy with the exclusion can deny it.

If you spray or fertilize for hire, ask two questions: does my policy exclude chemical application, and if so, how do I fix it? The fix is either removing the exclusion or adding pesticide and herbicide applicator coverage. We can review your policy and tell you which one you need.

One related note: most states require a license or certification to apply pesticides commercially, and often a separate one for fertilizer. Carriers may ask for proof of your license before adding this coverage, so keep your credentials current and matched to the services you offer.

Gap #2: Your own equipment isn’t covered where it lives

General liability covers damage you do to others — it does not cover your own gear. And a standard property policy generally only covers equipment at your shop. But your mowers, trailers, blowers, and trimmers don’t live at your shop. They live on trailers, on job sites, and in transit — which is also where they get stolen.

The fix is a contractor’s equipment floater (your agent may call it inland marine coverage). It covers your equipment wherever it goes — on the job, on the road, and overnight — and it can include rented and borrowed gear too. Schedule your big-ticket machines, put a blanket amount on the small tools, and a stolen trailer becomes a claim instead of a lost season.

Gap #3: Contract requirements you can’t meet with a basic policy

The best-paying landscaping work — HOAs, municipalities, commercial property managers — comes with contracts, and those contracts have insurance requirements that a basic policy usually can’t meet:

• Higher limits. Many contracts require more coverage than a standard policy carries. An umbrella policy adds a layer of protection on top of your general liability and auto.

• Additional insured status for the client — for both ongoing and completed work. Many policies only include one of the two, and that difference matters.

• Waiver of subrogation and primary and non-contributory wording — technical terms the contract will name specifically, and your policy either has them or it doesn’t.

Don’t try to decode this language on your own, and don’t sign hoping your policy matches. Send us the contract before you sign. We’ll read it against your policy line by line and tell you exactly what needs to change.

Rounding out the program

Workers’ compensation. Mowers, chainsaws, and trimmers cause serious injuries, and summer heat is a real hazard for outdoor crews. Workers’ comp covers medical care and lost wages when a crew member is hurt, with employers’ liability alongside it. Requirements depend on your state and crew size — we’ll help you confirm what applies to you.

Commercial auto. Covers your trucks and trailers. Add hired and non-owned auto coverage for the day an employee causes a wreck running a business errand in their own vehicle — personal auto policies don’t cover business use.

Pollution coverage. Fuel spills and chemical exposure can fall outside general liability. A limited pollution endorsement can fill part of that gap; worth reviewing if you haul fuel or mix chemicals.

Bonds. Municipal and larger commercial jobs often require bid and performance bonds. We can place those alongside your insurance so a bond requirement never holds up a job.

Storm cleanup. After a big storm, cleanup work can be a second business on top of your first — chainsaws, heavy debris, damaged structures. It’s some of the most dangerous work you’ll do, and it may fall outside your normal operations. Before storm season, confirm that cleanup work is covered.

Why landscapers work with Barbee Jackson Insurance

We’re an independent agency, licensed in 30+ states, with 400+ five-star Google reviews. Because we’re independent, we shop your program across multiple carriers and build it around your actual operation — what you spray, what you haul, what your equipment is worth, and the contracts you’re chasing. Not a template.

Related coverage

• Based in Florida? Visit our Florida Landscaping Insurance page for state licensing and other Florida specifics.

• General Contractor Insurance · Contractors Liability Insurance · HVAC Insurance · Workers Compensation

Frequently asked questions

Do I need special coverage to spray chemicals? Very likely, yes. Many general liability policies exclude pesticide and herbicide application. If you spray or fertilize for hire, your policy needs that exclusion removed or applicator coverage added. We can check your policy form and tell you where you stand.

Does my insurance cover a rock my mower threw? Generally yes — damage or injury to someone else is exactly what general liability covers. Your own equipment and redoing your own work are separate questions, which is why the full program matters.

Do I need a license to apply pesticides or fertilizer? Most states require a commercial license or certification for pesticides, and often a separate one for fertilizer. Requirements vary by state, and carriers may ask for proof. Tell us what you’re licensed for and we’ll match the coverage to it.

What insurance do HOA and city contracts require? Usually higher limits (an umbrella), additional insured status for ongoing and completed work, a waiver of subrogation, and primary and non-contributory wording. Every contract is a little different — send it to us before you sign and we’ll confirm your policy matches.

How fast can I get a certificate of insurance? Within five minutes during normal business hours unless a change is required. If a client needs specific wording on the certificate, send us their requirements and we’ll make sure it matches. Call (850) 389-2001.

Get a quote built around your operation

Tell us what you spray, what you haul, what your equipment is worth, and the contracts you’re after — and we’ll build the program to fit. Call (850) 389-2001, email services@barbeejackson.com, or request a quote below. Your Goals, Our Strategies.